Green Bank Elementary School

Washington Township, Burlington County, NJ

In 2000, RYEBREAD Architects was hired as Architect-of-Record by the Washington Township Board of Education. The Board had been promised funding by the Municipality for a new Gym. During the needs assessment phase, funding also became available from the NJ Department of Education for a more comprehensive project. RYEBREAD evaluated the existing building systems and finishes for funding eligibility. Turned out, every system and interior/exterior finish was eligible.

Over the course of a prolonged series of public-outreach meetings, the Board finally decided it was more cost effective to build a new building than to make all the renovations and additions needed to bring the facility into compliance with current educational and code standards.

RYEBREAD designed a replacement school that echoed the exterior vernacular character of the original school. On the interior, the patterns and colors of the finish materials reflect the history and culture of the Pinelands.

For the first time ever, Washington Township now has an educational facility with a Gymnasium, Library, Nurses Office, Art/Science/Music Room, and self-contained Kindergarten. The new school is climate-controlled and code-compliant. What’s more, between State impact aid and DoE funding, it was built at no cost to the local taxpayer.